Where's My Penny?

By Author: Janice Smith
Total Articles: 3
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Students are being bribed to do their assignments and behave well, and the results are not very good.
A study was once conducted in which children were given paper and crayons and told that they could draw pictures if they liked. Another group of children was also provided with paper and crayons, but they were given the added incentive of receiving a penny for every picture they produced. The children for whom drawing was its own reward continued to draw when given the opportunity. The children who had been given pennies for their art ceased to draw when they could no longer sell their work. Too many of the children in the public schools expect to receive gum, candy, stickers, pizza certificates, and other rewards for such simple things as sitting quietly in class, doing their work, and listening to the teacher. They have not been taught to appreciate the intangible reward that come from doing something simply because it is the right thing to do. It may seem to make sense to give students an added reward to encourage them to do their work, but it can actually be discouraging. Some students expect an extra ...
... reward, like candy or gum, and don't feel obligated to do their work if there is no reward. It's amazing to me that so many students really do feel cheated if they don't receive something in addition to a grade. Sometimes when I tell the students what it was like in the horse-and-buggy days when I went to school they're appalled. I was actually expected to behave myself, pay attention, and do my work without my teacher dangling a piece of bubble gum in front of me. They pitied me for having been subjected to such brutal abuse. Of course it's entirely unfair to compare the education I received to what the children are receiving today. My teachers actually had time to teach. They received support from the administration instead of endless hassles and reams of paperwork, and they weren't expected to think of - and pay for - incentives to entice students to do their work and refrain from assaulting fellow classmates. Perhaps the most difficult challenge teachers face is filling the role of psychotherapist to 20 children. Many students have parents who are far more concerned with their own interests than they are with their children's welfare. They think that if they buy their children the latest designer clothing and videogames that they're doing a bang-up job of parenting. The number of children who are receiving psychological counseling is alarming, and some of these children wouldn't need this help if their parents actually behaved like parents. My teachers also didn't have to worry about teaching moral values. I recall several occasions when they chose to take a few minutes from their lesson time to talk about the importance of honesty, hard work, and being kind to each other, when they felt that there was a need. I can remember the confidence they had on such occasions, too. They didn't have to worry about offending someone, or being reprimanded for trying to impose their values on the poor, impressionable children. Today teachers are expected to teach children values, which is the responsibility of the family, but they don't have the freedom to do it. Children need limits. When a child knows that he cannot do certain things, he feels secure, and is then free to concentrate his energies on the things that he can do. Adults need limits too. We all need to know what to stay away from for our own good, and the good of those who could be hurt by irresponsible behavior. When children are not taught that they are responsible for their actions, and that they will suffer unpleasant consequences when they do something wrong, they are robbed of one of the most important lessons of life. Ignorance of this will not only cost them dearly, but the rest of society as well. About the Author Janice L. Smith has BA and MA degrees in Psychology. She was a popular substitute teacher before and after graduate school, and also worked as a Museum Educator. Her novel, Daddy's Little Secret is available at www.booksurge.com, and will soon be available at Amazon.com.